The study involved nearly a thousand U.S. doctors who had developed prostate cancer and were followed for an average of 14 years after diagnosis.
Chavarro’s team assessed the men’s eating habits to see if they had an unhealthy “Western” diet — high in red and processed meat, high-fat dairy products and “refined” grains — or a healthy diet high in vegetables, fruit, legumes (such as beans), fish and whole grains.
While the study couldn’t prove cause-and-effect, the researchers found that men who scored highest in terms of Western eating habits were 2.5 times more likely to die from their prostate cancer, and 67 percent more likely to die from any cause, than those who scored lowest.
In contrast, men who scored highest in terms of healthy eating habits were 36 percent less likely to die from any cause than those who scored lowest, the researchers said.
The study authors stressed that most of the men in the study were white, so results might differ in studies involving other races/ethnicities.
One expert said Western diets have long had a bad reputation when it comes to health.